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Jose Mourinho’s side crashed out of the Carabao Cup in midweek (Picture: Getty)

Senior Manchester United players were stunned by Jose Mourinho’s public shaming of Phil Jones following Tuesday’s shock Carabao Cup defeat against Derby.

United were held to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford by Frank Lampard’s promotion hopefuls, rescuing a draw courtesy of a late Marouane Fellaini equaliser.

The match was settled by a penalty shootout, Jones missing the decisive kick after the previous 15 takers had all been successful from 12 yards.

Afterwards, Mourinho said: ‘I never blame a player missing a penalty because we know clearly, because we train and because we knew if it went in the direction of Jones and Eric Bailly, we would be in trouble then.’

The Daily Telegraph cites two sources close to Manchester United players who cannot understand what their manager has to gain by shaming his troops in such a public fashion and also noted the irony in Mourinho’ desire for greater commitment from players he continues to undermine.

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Mourinho’s often brutal treatment of Luke Shaw appears, finally, to be bearing fruit with the long-suffering left-back producing the best and most consistent form of his United career, but several of his colleagues are unimpressed with their manager’s increasingly divisive demeanour.

United’s players are still reeling from the decision to strip Paul Pogba of the vice-captaincy, many of whom support the Frenchman and his intention to quit the club, regardless of Mourinho’s future.

Pogba and Mourinho were involved in a frosty exchange at the club’s Carrington training ground on Wednesday, triggered by the World Cup winner’s Instagram video which went out later than intended as a result of Old Trafford’s notoriously inconsistent WiFi signal.